Tauranga Art Gallery's redevelopments are set to launch at the end of the year, creating new opportunity for art, culture and community to connect!

The redevelopments of the art gallery are part of city's future civic precinct - Te Manawataki o Te Papa.

Major changes involve the gallery being reoriented to face Masonic Park, creating an entrance from the park space and surrounding venues.

'When the library, gym and other facilities are completed we'll all be facing each other,” says Tauranga Art Gallery's director Sonya Korohina.

'It will mean that you'll be able to stand in one spot and go: ‘I want to go to a café over there' or, ‘Oh yes I need to go to the library', or, ‘I'll take the kids to the experience room in the museum'. It will read more beautifully.”

Gallery of the future

Announced as Tauranga Art Gallery's director earlier in the year, Sonya says she has been in our community for the past decade.

'During that time I have gained a strong sense of what our community needs and is looking for from a public gallery to take us into the future.

'Art galleries are so much more these days. They're really social spaces.”

Tauranga Art Gallery's director Sonya Korohina at the gallery's current main entrance. Photo: John Borren.

Sonya says the redevelopments to the art gallery will include a café and expanded retail space.

'I always know I can get a good coffee at a gallery and it means we'll be able to showcase some of the art by our awesome artists in our community and sell them through the gallery and through the shopping experience.

'Our vision is to create lifelong relationships with art for our community, so we're thinking about our audience from kindergarten kids, to toddler's right through to our elderly.”

Renovations needed

The galleries lighting, air conditioning and interior will also be upgraded during the art galleries redevelopment closure. A spruce up is well needed too, says Sonya. '

The art gallery is 16-years-old and the only time we're ever closed is Christmas day – so you imagine if you didn't do any maintenance on your house for 16 years!”

While these transitional works are carried out, the art gallery has opened a temporary Pop-Up Gallery at 42-44 Devonport Rd to allow educational programmes to go on as usual.

While the main gallery is open until October, the Pop-Up gallery is in action now.

'It will be our gallery once the main one closes for the redevelopment.”

Here the community will be able to continue enjoying artist talks, workshops and events.

For more information on the redevelopments visit: www.artgallery.org.nz/Redevelopment